Deaf Woman Says Fast-Food Worker Mocked Her, Refused Her Order

posted by R.J. Johnson - @rickerthewriter -
Sep 10, 2019

A deaf woman in California says a drive thru worker at a Campbell Jack in the Box mocked her sign language and yelled at her after she drove up to the drive thru window without using the drive thru's speaker.

According to a Facebook post that contained video from the incident, RaVae Arnaud-Jensen, 39, pulled into the Jack in the Box location in Campbell, California on Aug. 31 after getting hungry. Because she has been deaf from birth, Arnaud-Jensen pulled directly up to the service window to try and give her order to the worker. But instead of her food, she was mocked and yelled at by the worker at the window.

In the video posted online, Arnaud-Jensen can be heard attempting to explain to the worker in the video that she cannot use the drive-thru speaker because of her disability. She can speak and read lips in addition to knowing sign language, NBC Bay Area reported. But as things escalated, her son, began recording the confrontation with his phone.

The worker can be heard responding, "I don't care ... Go. Go. Go. Go," and tells her to "shut up."

Arnaud-Jensen, who is getting emotional at this point, tries placing her order, telling the Jack in the Box worker that she doesn't plan on moving her car until she gets her food. The video ends with the worker laughing at her while appearing to mock her sign language and closing the drive-thru window.

Arnaud-Jensen said in her post that she sat at the drive thru for two hours waiting for her food.

"Employee of Jack in the Box refused to accept any orders from me. He yelled at me to leave and go drive back to the speaker to order. I repeatedly told him that I am Deaf. Towards the end of the video, once he realized he was being recorded he changed faces and mockingly gestured at the video. I refused to leave the window until I received an order. Sat there for two hours."

"This is common for deaf people to experience this including me," Arnaud-Jensen wrote in a comment on the video. "This is not my first time. It had this happen to me several times, however, this one was the worst I have experienced."

According to a statement from Jack in the Box, the worker was fired over the incident.

"We have been informed of the incident that took place between an employee and hearing-impaired guest, in the drive-thru at a Campbell, CA restaurant on August 31st. We do not tolerate the mistreatment of any customers and expect employees to follow all training procedures, be respectful, courteous and accommodating to all guests. After a thorough investigation of the incident and direct contact with the local franchise owner, we understand the employee in the video has been terminated."

Arnaud-Jensen says she plans to sue over the incident, telling NBC Bay Area that "It's not only training .. You need that depth of knowledge of deaf culture to fully understand the needs."